Scenic/Rugged Drive
by bottleofdoom
If you take I-10 west, exit at Avra Valley Rd. and make left onto it. Take it all the way out until it ends and turns into a dirt road. You can take this dirt road all the way around the Silverbell Mine and feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere. Make sure you have full gas tank and plenty of water and some food. It's a pretty rugged road, but I have done it in a Honda Prelude (with much nervousness). This is an all day trip. This is a picture of me when we got out the car and explored.
san pedro valley
by bocmaxima
Tucson's natural barriers have created several areas where development has more or less failed to reach. One such area is the San Pedro Valley, on the east side of the Rincon Mountains.
The San Pedro River runs straight north from Mexico, dumping into the Gila River near Winkelman. Along its course through the area, it provides a dramatic riparian contrast to the surrounding desert.
The western cottonwoods (alamos) along its banks give a real sense of fall around December when the leaves begin to change. This can be seen most dramatically around the ghost town of Fairbank (Highway 82 between Sonoita and Tombstone) and Charleston (Charleston Road between Sierra Vista and Tombstone).
Closer to Tucson, the San Pedro Valley is a strip of ranches, homesteads and small farms. The villages of Redington and Cascabel are here, with a group of a few rugged Arizonans calling it home.
The main road in can be accessed from Highway 77 and San Manuel, or Pomerene Road off of I-10 near Benson. The road is mostly is gravel, but is wide, graded and easily passable by passenger cars. The alternative route is to take Redington Road (what Tanque Verde Road becomes) over the Rincons. Redington Road is very narrow and curvy at times, and is sometimes very bumpy and difficult for passenger cars. It can also take over an hour to get from the end of the pavement to San Pedro Road. It's a beautiful, desolate drive though, and a stark contrast to the typically more crowded forest areas of the Catalinas.
National Optical Astronomy...
by Davidp1952
National Optical Astronomy Observatories at Kitt Peak: Kitt Peak is home to the world’s largest collection of ground-based optical telescopes. The Kitt Peak Visitor Center offers daily guided tours of telescope facilities, public observing events, and exhibits and videotape presentations on astronomy and the Tohono O’odham culture. 56 miles southwest of Tucson via State Route 86. Recorded information: (520) 318-8200.
Want some good Italian food?
by Basaic about Caruso's
Caruso's is an Italian Restaurant serving various chicken, veal, and pasta dishes, along with pizza. I have not tried here yet; but I have heard it is quite good. Popular hangout for U of A students.
Mexican Food and Seafood
by lamentforicarus about Maria Bonita
Located on Tucson's northside, Maria Bonita serves good Mexican cooking in a fiesta-style atmosphere. Here you can find the essential chicken enchilada or carne seca burrito for a good price, but Maria Bonita's most delicious dish has to be the Chile Relleno. Other entrees include a wide assortment of seafood and soups (including a tasty tortilla soup) and well-prepared salads.
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Biosphere, 40 miles from Tucscon downtown, AZ
390th Bombardment Group Museum
Guadalupe Shrine
Braincrusher
